Differential feeding mechanism for cup feed machines



J. R. MOFFATT DIFFERENTIAL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CUP FEED MACHINES F le 6 29, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,536

J. MOFFATT DIFFERENTIAL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CUP FEED MACHINES Fil 8 29, 1920 SSheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 1924. 1,518,536

J. R. MOFFATT DIFFERENTIAL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CUP FEED MACHINES Filed De 29, 1920 s Shets-Slpeat s l mum I 7 l I il/ All Cir tin

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES'R. MOIE'FATT, OF CIIIGAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T UNION SPECIAL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DIFFERENTIAL FEEDING HECHANISM FOR CUP FEED MACHINES.

Application filed December 29, 1920. Serial No. 433,889.

To all whom it may conccm:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. Morra'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois. have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Differential Feeding Mechanism for Cup Feed vMachines, of which the following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked. thereon. a

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in feeding mechanism for sewing machines, and more particularly to a feeding mechanism for co-operating rotating feeding wheels.

An objectof the invention is to provide a feeding mechanism of the above character with means for rotating the feed wheels, which means includes devices whereby one wheel may be caused to rotate faster or slower than the other. That is, the wheels have difierential movement imparted to them, where-by, in the stitching; of fabric sections, one of which is elastic and the other non-elastic, the elastic fabric may be fed little faster than the non-elastic fabric or crowded, and thus prevent undue stretching of the elastic fabric through the action of the feed wheels thereon.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character, wherein the rotating movement is intermittent.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine'of the above character, wherein means is provided for simultaneously varying the feed of both of the cooperating feed wheels and also for varying the feed of one of the feed wheels relative to the other, so that either feed wheel may be caused to rotate at a faster or slower speed than the other.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1:

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sect'onal view on the line H of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view showing the clutch arrangement of the feeding mechanism.

The invention is directed broadly to a feeding mechanism for sewing machines having co-operating rotating feed wheels. and more particularly to a machine of the cup feed type, such as shown and described in my prior Patent No. 1,246,302, granted November 13th, 1917.

It is sometimes desirable, in a machine of 'this type, to impart a differential feeding movementto the feed wheels-that is, to cause one or the other of the feeding wheels to move faster than the other. I have provided means for intermittently rotating one of the feed wheels from the main shaft. which includes an operating gripping clutch and a train of devices for operating the same, and I have also provided a similar clutch with a train of devices for operating the same for the other feed wheel and the last mentioned train of devices includes means whereby the speed of rotation imparted to the cup feed thereby may be increased or decreased relative to the speed of rotation of the other feed wheel and thereby a feeding movement provided in which either the inner or the outer cup feed wheel may move faster than'the other.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, I have shown my invention embodied in a machine including a main casing 1, having a main driving shaft 5 exten ing transversely of the frame of the machine. The outer cup feed wheel is indicated at 6 and this wheel co-operates with the inner cup feed wheel 7. The cup feed wheel 7 is mounted in the usual bearing 8 and is driven by a clutch 9 mounted on the lower end of the shaft 10 which carries said feed cup wheel 7. The clutch 9 is operated by means of a link 11 which is connected to an arm 12 of the clutch 9. This clutch 9 is of the construction shown in my prior patent, above referred to, and it will not be necessary to describe the details of construction thereof. The link 11 is connected at its other end, at 13, to one arm of a bell crank 14 which is fixed to a shaft 28 by means of a screw 29. The other arm of the bell crank 14 is connected by means of a link 15 to a slotted arm 16. The link 15 is adjustably connected. with said slotted arm, so that said link may be shifted toward andfrom the center of oscillation of the arm 16. The arm 16 is clamped to a vertical shaft 17 about the axis of which said arm vibrates. The vertical shaft 17 is provided with an arm '18 which in turn is connected to an eccentric strap 19, co-operating with an eccentric on the main shaft 5. As the main shaft rotates, the arm 16 will be oscillated and this will impart an oscillation to the bell crank 14 and the bell crank 14 will in turn impart an oscillation to the arm 12 which will turn the shaft step by step and thus impart a feeding movement to the cup feed wheel 7. The amount of movementimparted to the cup feed wheel 7 depends upon the position of the connection between the link 15 and the arm 16. When this connection is moved toward the center of the shaft 17, the throw imparted to the bell crank 14 is less and the stroke of the feed wheel will be less. lVhen said connection is moved outward, then the stroke of the feed wheel will be increased.

The outer cup feed wheel 6 is mounted in an arm 20, which is pivotally connected at 21 to the bracket 22, which is carried by the frame of the machine. This outer cup feed wheel is driven by a flexible shaft 23 similar to that shown and described in my prior patent, above referred to, and this flexible shaft 23 is connected to and driven by a shaft 2 1. The shaft 24: receives its movement from a clutch 25,, see Figure 5. The clutch 25 is similar to the clutch'9, and is operated by a link 26 connected to' a slotted arm 27 which slotted arm is mounted on the upper end of the shaft 28. The link 26 has an adjustable connection with the slotted arm 27 and the amount of movement i1nparted to the clutch 25 will depend upon the position of the connection between the link 26 and the slotted arm 27. When this connection is shifted toward the center of the shaft 28, the amount of movement imparted to the shaft 24, by a predetermined move ment of the shaft 28, will be less than when said connection is shifted to a point further 'tion to the link 26 is at the extreme inner end of the slot, the outer feed cup wheel will move slower than the inner feed cup wheel and when the connection between the link 26 and the arm 27 is at the extreme outer end of the slot, then the outer feed cup wheel 6 will move faster than the inner feed cup wheel 7. By the statement that the outer cup feed wheel moves faster or slower" than the inner cup feed wheel, I have reference to the extent of'movement rather than speed of movement. It will be noted that the cup feed wheels are mounted to rotate about vertical axes and these cupv feed wheels serve to support and present the material to the needle 2, which is horizontally disposed, as set forth in my prior patent. Co-operating with this needle 2 is a loopelr 3.

It will thus beseen that I have provided means whereby the amount of movement imparted to the two feed wheels may be simultaneously varied through the shifting of'the link 15 and the amount of movement of the outer feed wheel may be made greater or less than the inner feed wheel by shifting the link 26. This provides afeeding mechanism which is particularly adapted for the stitching of fabric sections where one of the sections is elastic while the other is non-elastic, and the elastic fabric may be fed" a-little faster than the non-elastic fabric through the action of the fast moving feed wheel and thus prevent undue stretching of the elastic fabric through the action of the feed wheels thereon. On the other hand, this feeding mechanism may be used for stitching two fabric sections where one is longer than the other, as, for example, in connection with a curved coat collar, or in slipper work, or the like, and the ends of the two sections will be brought out even through the feeding of one section faster than the other.

\Vhile I havedescribed the invention as particularly adapted for a cup feed wheel machine, it will be understood, from certain aspects, it may be equally well adapted to any type of rotary feeding mechanism. It will also be obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangen'ient of the parts may be made without depart-- ing from the spirit of the invention "as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: s

1. A. sewing machine including in combination, opposed feed wheels, means for iniparting an intern'iittent rotation to said feed wheels, said means including devices whereby differential feeding moven'ient may be imparted to the feed wheels.

2. A sewing machine including n combination, opposed feed wheels, means for imparting an intermittent rotation to the said feed wheels, said means including dev ces whereby the speed of rotation of said feed wheels may be Varied relative to each other, so that either feed wheel rotates faster than the other. V

3. A sewing machine including in combinat'on, a horizontally disposed needle, feed wheels rotating about vertical axes for supporting and feeding the material to said needle, means for imparting an intern'iitt'ent rotation to said feed wheels including devices whereby differential feeding movement may be imparted to the feed wheels.

4. A sewing machine including in combination, a horizontally disposed needle, feed wheels rotating about vertical axes for supporting and feed ng the material to the needle, means for imparting an intermittent rotation to said fee-d wheels, including devices whereby the speed of rotation of the said feed wheels may be simultaneously increased or decreased and whereby either feed wheel rotates faster than the other.

5. A sewing machine including in combination a horizontally disposed needle, a main shaft, feed wheels disposed so as to rotate about vertical axes and support and feed the material to the needle, a friction clutch associated with each feed wheel, means for operating said clutches from the main shaft including aslotted arm and link connection whereby the amount of movement imparted to the clutches may be varied, the means for imparting movement to one of said clutches also including a slotted arm and link whereby the amount of movement imparted to said last named clutch may be increased or decreased so as to rotate one of said feed wheels faster than the other.

6. A sewing machine includ ng in combination, a supporting fran'le, a horizontally disposed needle, a vertical shaft carrying an inner feed cup at its upper end, a vertical shaft carrying an outer feed cup at ts lower end, said feed cups co-operating to support and feed the material to the needle, a vertical shaft connected to said outer feed cup, a friction clutch on the vertical shaft connected to said outer feed cup, and a friction clutch on the shaft carrying the nner cup feed, means for operating said friction clutches from said main shaft including a slotted arm and link connection, whereby the amount of movement imparted to the clutches may be simultaneously var'ed, the means for operating the clutch for the outer feed cup including a slotted arm and link, whereby the outer feed cup may be driven at a faster or slower speed than the inner feed cup.

7. In a sewing machine of the class described, adjacently placed feed cups, inde pendent devices for impart ng an intermittent revoluble movement to each feed cup, means for operating the aforesaid devices, and devices for simultaneously adjusting the extent of the movement of the feed cups.

8. A sewing machine including in combination, feed wheels between which a fabric is fed to stitching mechanism, an intermittently actuating clutch for operating one of said feed wheels, an intermittently actuating clutch for operating the other feed wheel, a shaft, means for oscillat'ng said shaft, devices connecting said shaft to one of said clutches, and devices connecting said shaft to the other clutch.

9. A sewing machine including in combiiation, feed wheels between which a fabric is fed to stitching mechanism, an intermittently actuating clutch for operating one of said feed wheels, an intermittently actuating clutch for operating the other feed wheel, a shaft, means for oscillating sa'd shaft, devices connecting said shaft to one of said clutches, and devices connecting said shaft to the other clutch, said means for oscillating the shaft includ ng devices whereby the oscillating movement imparted to the shaft may be varied.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JAMES R. MOFFATT. 

